Rafael Nadal returned to competition for the first time since his early French Open exit on Monday, teaming up with Casper Ruud for a doubles win in Bastad. It was Nadal’s first match since the 38-year-old fell to Alexander Zverev in the opening round at Roland Garros on May 27 as he prepares for the Paris Olympics. The Spaniard and Ruud, 25, won 6-1, 6-4 in the rain-interrupted clay-court match against second seeds Guido Andreozzi of Argentina and Miguel Reyes-Varela of Mexico.

Wild card entries Nadal and Ruud, who trained at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, looked at home on the Swedish clay, racing through the first set with two breaks.

Play was suspended at 3-3 in the second due to rain and briefly a second time before Nadal and Ruud, saw out the match in 79 minutes.

“We played quite well for it being the first time that we played together,” said Nadal.

“And yeah, happy to be back here after almost 20 years. I have great memories of this place from 2003, 2004, 2005. I am enjoying this week and hopefully we can keep going.”

Nadal lifted the singles title in Bastad as a 19-year-old in 2005.

This month he skipped Wimbledon to focus on the Olympics which will be played at Roland Garros where he won 14 French Open titles.

In Paris, Nadal plans to compete in the singles and doubles with Carlos Alcaraz, winner of the Wimbledon tournament on Sunday.

“It was an amazing day for Spanish sport,” said Nadal of Alcaraz’s win and Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph.

“The Spanish team played an amazing Euro Cup since the first day to the last. We are very proud, all the country, about what they did. I was a very happy day yesterday too, with Carlos winning Wimbledon.”

The 22-time Grand Slam champion is also playing in the singles where he will take on Leo Borg, the 21-year-old son of the long-retired former world number one Bjorn Borg, now 68.

Ruud added: “He did well and we played good doubles and it was a lot of fun to share the court with Rafa as always.

“I’m used to it more than Rafa, being from Norway,” he said of the rain delays before joking about Nadal’s age.

“And he’s getting old so I’m not sure how the body feels when he has to stop and start all the time.”

Borg, currently ranked 467 in the world, lost his doubles match on Monday.

Carlos Alcaraz lifts the Wimbledon 2024 title after beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the final.© AFP

Carlos Alcaraz successfully retained his Wimbledon men’s singles title, decimating Novak Djokovic, one of the greats of the game, in the final. Alcaraz, who had beaten Djokovic in the same final last year as well, but over 5 sets, secured a much more comfortable win this time, winning in 3 straight sets. After the win, the Spaniard said he does not know his limit but believed the Serb is still “Superman”. But, one area where Alcaraz does know his limits is dancing, and that was visible after the game.

As the Wimbledon tradition goes, the winner of the men’s singles championship dances with the winner of the women’s singles championship. When Alcaraz was informed about this on the court, he was visibly nervous, as he isn’t as confident of his dancing skills as he is of his abilities on the court.

The end result, however, was ad decent one as Alcaraz was seen dancing with Barbora Krejcikova.

Genios absolutos.

Carlos Alcaraz y Barbora Krejcikova bailando en la cena de ganadores de Wimbledon. pic.twitter.com/4n4CDOpm4Y

— Manuel Sanchez (@ManuSanchezGom) July 14, 2024

“I wish I could dance better, let’s see tonight, ha”, Alcaraz said on court when he was informed of the traditional dance with the women’s singles champion.

The Spanish third seed beat the seven-time champion 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4), collecting the fourth Grand Slam of his young career and underlining a changing of the guard. Alcaraz, 21, who has won three of the past five majors, said he wanted to enjoy his “amazing journey so far” rather than look too far into the future.

“I really want to keep going, to keep improving, to keep growing up, try to keep winning. That’s all that matters for me right now,” he said.

“I don’t know what is my limit. I don’t want to think about it. I just want to keep enjoying my moment, just to keep dreaming.

“So let’s see if at the end of my career it’s going to be 25, 30, 15, four (Slams). I don’t know. All I want to say is I want to keep enjoying and let’s see what the future brings to me.”

Despite his staggering success at such a tender age, Alcaraz said it was more important where he finished.

“I want to sit at the same table as the big guys,” he said. “That’s my main goal. That’s my dream right now.”

Djokovic was aiming for record 25th major but struggled to get going against a man 16 years his junior on Centre Court, and Alcaraz said he took advantage of the veteran’s mistakes.

Alcaraz described the Serb as “Superman” before the tournament started and said he had no reason to change his mind, especially as Djokovic had surgery on his knee just last month.

“I’m still believing that Novak is Superman because what he has done this tournament with a surgery just a few weeks before the tournament began,” he said.

“It is amazing. It is unbelievable. Honestly, as I said on court, I was talking to my team that the work that Novak has done has been unbelievable.”

Alcaraz and world number one Jannik Sinner, 22, have won all three Grand Slams this year, suggesting a change in the balance of power at the top of the game.

The Spaniard said it was positive to have new champions after Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer dominated for so long.

“I think it is good for tennis to have new faces winning the big things and fighting for the big tournaments,” he said. 

“I’m really glad to have him (Sinner) there. As I said many times, we have a really good rivalry, as young players that are coming up, fighting for these things as well. I think it’s great for the sport, for tennis and I think for the players.” 

With AFP Inputs

Carlos Alcaraz after winning Wimbledon 2024 men’s singles title.© AFP

Catherine, Princess of Wales, attended the Wimbledon Men’s final in London on Sunday as she continues her cancer recovery, receiving cheers as she walked onto court to present the trophy to winner Carlos Alcaraz. The 42-year-old, wearing a purple dress, was accompanied by her nine-year-old daughter Charlotte as she talked to players before the match. She was then cheered by onlookers as she made her way to the world-famous Centre Court. The crowd took to its feet as the princess entered the arena, applauding for around 30 seconds. 

Catherine waved as she took her seat next to her sister Pippa in the royal box, close to actors Tom Cruise, Zendaya and Hugh Jackman.

At the end of the match, she walked onto the grass to more cheers, offering consolatory words and a silver plate to runner-up Novak Djokovic and the winner’s trophy to Alcaraz.

She had earlier sent a social media message to Scottish tennis legend Andy Murray, writing: “An incredible #Wimbledon career comes to an end. You should be so very proud @andy_murray. On behalf of all of us, thank you! C.”

Catherine tentatively returned to UK public life last month for the first time since her diagnosis, attending a military parade in London to officially mark King Charles III’s birthday.

It came nearly three months after Kate revealed she was receiving chemotherapy treatment. She had not been seen at a public engagement since a Christmas Day service last year.

In a statement at the time, she said she was “making good progress” with her treatment, which is set to last for several more months, but was “not out of the woods yet”.

The cancer announcement came just weeks after it was disclosed that British head of state Charles had also been diagnosed with the condition.

Neither has revealed what type of cancer they have.

Charles, 75, was given the green light to resume public duties in April, after doctors said they were “very encouraged” by his progress.

He has since attended commemoration events in northern France for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings during World War II.

Royal officials are keen to manage expectations about Kate’s gradual return to the public eye, and have maintained that her appearances will depend on her treatment and recovery.

Kate said in her statement in June that she had “good days and bad days” and was “taking each day as it comes”.

Carlos Alcaraz not only swept past Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final on Sunday, the charismatic Spaniard’s fourth Grand Slam triumph confirmed a generational shift in men’s tennis. He has won three of the past five majors and has joined Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker and Mats Wilander as the only men to claim four majors at the age of 21 or under. That is an achievement that proved beyond even Djokovic, the retired Roger Federer and injury-plagued Rafael Nadal, the three men who collected 66 Grand Slams in a golden age that appeared to have reached its end with defeat for the 37-year-old Serb on Sunday.

Alcaraz’s coach Juan Carlos Ferrero once predicted that his compatriot would win 30 Grand Slams.

He already has a comfortable head start.

Djokovic may have 24 Slams but after capturing his first at the 2008 Australian Open as a 20-year-old he had to wait three more years for his second.

Federer, who finished his career with 20 Slams, managed the 2003 Wimbledon title as a 21-year-old.

Alcaraz’s compatriot Nadal, the holder of 22 majors, had three at 21 — all at the French Open, in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Alcaraz’s Grand Slam collection currently comprises the 2022 US Open, the 2023 and 2024 Wimbledon titles and last month’s triumph at the French Open.

He is yet to lose a Slam final and is only the sixth man to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon back-to-back.

His win in Paris last month made him the youngest man to claim majors on all three surfaces — clay, hard and grass — and before he turns 22 in May next year, he could move to six Slams.

Should he triumph for the first time in Australia he would depose Nadal as the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam.

“I normally call Federer the greatest player of all time, and that has nothing to do with the statistics or the results,” Wilander told eurosport.com.

“It has to do with what he meant for the sport, the expectations that people had. Carlos Alcaraz is going through the same thing.”

Much has been made of the new rivalry of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the beanpole Italian who took Djokovic’s Australian Open title and his world number one ranking this year.

Sinner rivalry

However, Alcaraz, as well as being 21 months younger, has a better record at the Slams than Sinner, who won his maiden Slam in January.

Alcaraz enjoys a 5-4 head-to-head advantage over Sinner, including a five-set triumph in the semi-finals at Roland Garros this year.

“What he’s doing, having won the title at Roland Garros, flipping the switch to prepare on grass and reach the final, is scandalous,” said Ferrero.

Alcaraz, who hails from the small Murcian town of El Palmar in Spain’s south-east, hit the giant-killing jackpot at Madrid in 2022 when he became the only man to defeat both Nadal and Djokovic at the same clay-court event.

“Carlos’s intensity and speed is something you rarely see,” said Rafael Nadal’s uncle and former coach Toni Nadal.

“His game follows the same path as Rafa — he never gives up until the last ball and has that characteristic intensity.”

Nadal, who will play with Alcaraz in the doubles at the Paris Olympics, has acted as his mentor and pleaded with fans not to put pressure on his young compatriot by making bold comparisons.

‘Extraordinary’

“I forgot what I was like at 19,” said Nadal, now 38. 

“The only thing we can do is enjoy the career of an extraordinary player like Carlos.

“If he manages to win 25 Grand Slams, it will be fantastic for him and for our country. But let him enjoy his career.”

Despite Nadal’s reservations, making comparisons is unavoidable.

Nadal won the first of his 92 titles at Sopot at the age of 18 in 2004.

Alcaraz was also 18 when he captured his maiden ATP trophy at Umag in 2021.

Both men are fiercely protective of their private lives, enjoy passionate crowd support.

“I know that I am a very competitive kid. I compete whenever I play anything — golf, petanca,” said Alcaraz. “I don’t like to lose.”

Alcaraz’s raw potential as a teenager quickly attracted sponsors, with marquee brands such as Nike and Rolex rushing to sign up Nadal’s heir apparent.

His win on Sunday has taken his career earnings to $35 million already.

“If Alcaraz stays healthy then he’ll go down as one of the best to ever play the game, that’s for sure. Who’s going to stop him?” said Australian star Nick Kyrgios.

Carlos Alcaraz overpowered seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in straight sets to retain his Wimbledon title on Sunday in a brutal statement that the new era of men’s tennis has arrived. The Spanish third seed produced a performance combining awesome power with delicate touch to win 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4), collecting the fourth Grand Slam of his young career. Alcaraz equals the Open Era record for most Grand Slams won at the age 21 or under, joining Boris Becker, Bjorn Borg and Mats Wilander. And he is just the sixth man to win the French Open and Wimbledon back to back. Djokovic, 37, who had knee surgery just weeks ago, was aiming to win a 25th Grand Slam — which would have been a record in the men’s and women’s game.

But he had no answers in the Centre Court sunshine as the electric Alcaraz pounded him from the back of the court and treated the crowd to an array of his trademark drop shots.

Alcaraz seized the initiative in a first game of breathtaking quality lasting 14 minutes, taking advantage of his fifth break point.

The Spaniard settled quickly into his routine on serve and went up a double break when Djokovic double-faulted in the fifth game.

The shell-shocked Serbian, playing in his 10th Wimbledon final, held serve to love to close the gap to 5-2 but dumped the ball into the net to hand the Spaniard the first set.

Alcaraz was immediately on the front foot in the second set, forcing a break in the first game and fending off pressure on his own serve to take a 2-0 lead.

A Djokovic backhand into the net in the seventh game handed Alcaraz another break point and a double fault put the defending champion 5-2 up and on the cusp of a two-set lead.

The Centre Court crowd, including Catherine, Princess of Wales, looked on in disbelief as their hopes for a titanic tussle evaporated.

Djokovic fended off another of clutch of break points early in the third set to stay alive and showed signs that he was finding his range.

But the Spaniard carved out three break points in the ninth game, arrowing a passing shot past his stranded opponent to move 5-4 ahead.

Alcaraz stepped up to serve for the championship but squandered three match points, missing a straightforward drive volley as Djokovic broke for the first time in the match.

But he recovered his composure quickly as the set went to a tie-break.

Djokovic went wide with a forehand to give Alcaraz a 5-3 lead and the Spaniard won the title with his fourth championship point.

The result means Djokovic has still not beaten a top-ten player this year and has yet to win a title.

The Serbian will now turn his attention to the Paris Olympics as he seeks to win gold for the first time.

An enthralling Wimbledon men’s singles final awaits tennis lovers as Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz – two of the finest players in the game at present – gear up for the showdown for the title. A number of sporting celebrities like Rohit Sharma, Pep Guardiola, David Beckham, etc. have found seat among spectators in the last few rounds of Wimbledon but it doesn’t seem like the tickets to the Grand Slam are affordable for general public. Claims have been made on social media that the tickets for the men’s singles final between Djokovic and Alcaraz are the most expensive in sporting history.

“Djokovic-Alcaraz Wimbledon Final will be the most expensive get-in finals tickets in the history of sports,” American sports commentator Darren Rovell wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Right now, WORST SEAT for Sunday is more than $10,000.”

Djokovic-Alcaraz Wimbledon Final will be the most expensive get-in finals tickets in the history of sports.

Right now, WORST SEAT for Sunday is more than $10,000.

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) July 12, 2024

The cheapest ticket on @TickPick to see Djokovic-Alcaraz in the #Wimbledon Final is $10,600.

That is the most expensive get-in for a sporting event on record at TickPick. pic.twitter.com/cKtns5LrkA

— Kyle Zorn (@Kyle_Zorn) July 12, 2024

The rough translation of the ‘worst ticket’ for the Wimbledon men’s singles final equates to INR 835193.50. Wimbledon’s Centre Court has a capacity of 14,979, which takes the total value of all seats at that price to a mind-boggling sum of INR 12,500,000.36.

In comparison, the organises have planned as sum of INR 265 crore as prize money for the winner of the final. The total pool of prize money stands at Rs. 500 crore for the tournament.

Novak Djokovic On The Cusp Of History

Novak Djokovic says the prospect of creating tennis history will provide the “fuel” he needs to defeat Carlos Alcaraz and clinch an eighth Wimbledon title and record 25th Grand Slam on Sunday.

Just five weeks after undergoing surgery on his right knee, 37-year-old Djokovic can become the oldest Wimbledon champion of the modern era and avenge his heartbreaking five-set loss to the Spaniard in last year’s final.

“I’m aware of what’s on the line. Any Grand Slam that I play, there’s always history now on the line,” said Djokovic.

“I will try to use that as a fuel to play my best tennis.”

On what promises to be an emotional day, the final will be played out in front of Catherine, Princess of Wales, who will be making just her second public appearance following her cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

UK media reported that she will also present the trophy to the champion.

Djokovic will be playing in his 10th Wimbledon final and 37th at the 75 majors in which he has played.

A 25th Grand Slam title would be an all-time record for men and women, snapping the mark of 24 he shares with Margaret Court.

“It serves as a great motivation, but at the same time it’s also a lot of pressure and expectations,” added the Serb.

“Every time I step out on the court now, even though I’m 37 and competing with the 21-year-olds, I still expect myself to win most of the matches, and people expect me to win 99 percent of the matches that I play.”

With AFP Inputs

Novak Djokovic says the prospect of creating tennis history will provide the “fuel” he needs to defeat Carlos Alcaraz and clinch an eighth Wimbledon title and record 25th Grand Slam on Sunday. Just five weeks after undergoing surgery on his right knee, 37-year-old Djokovic can become the oldest Wimbledon champion of the modern era and avenge his heartbreaking five-set loss to the Spaniard in last year’s final. “I’m aware of what’s on the line. Any Grand Slam that I play, there’s always history now on the line,” said Djokovic.

“I will try to use that as a fuel to play my best tennis.”

On what promises to be an emotional day, the final will be played out in front of Catherine, Princess of Wales, who will be making just her second public appearance following her cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

UK media reported that she will also present the trophy to the champion.

Djokovic will be playing in his 10th Wimbledon final and 37th at the 75 majors in which he has played.

A 25th Grand Slam title would be an all-time record for men and women, snapping the mark of 24 he shares with Margaret Court.

“It serves as a great motivation, but at the same time it’s also a lot of pressure and expectations,” added the Serb.

“Every time I step out on the court now, even though I’m 37 and competing with the 21-year-olds, I still expect myself to win most of the matches, and people expect me to win 99 percent of the matches that I play.”

Djokovic arrived at Wimbledon under a form and fitness cloud.

The 22-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner took his Australian Open title and then his world number one ranking and Alcaraz succeeded him as French Open champion.

Djokovic had not reached a final this season before arriving at the All England Club and he has yet to beat a top-10 player.

When he played his first-round match against qualifier Vit Kopriva it was only 27 days after he had gone under the knife to repair a torn meniscus, which had forced him to withdraw before his quarter-final at Roland Garros.

On the eve of Wimbledon, Djokovic still was not certain he would be able to compete.

‘Not reckless’

“We agreed that we would not talk about my guaranteed Wimbledon participation until three, four days before the tournament starts,” explained Djokovic.

“I understand why people were thinking it’s premature, it’s maybe reckless, but I don’t think it was, to be honest.”

Alcaraz, 16 years Djokovic’s junior, is in his fourth Grand Slam final and is looking to add a second Wimbledon to his 2022 US Open breakthrough and French Open title from last month. 

His win in the 2023 All England Club final snapped Djokovic’s 34-match winning streak at the tournament.

Alcaraz has endured an uneven tournament.

On Friday, he defeated Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals but only after having to come back from dropping the first set for the third time at the tournament.

He is bidding to become only the sixth man to win the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back.

However, Djokovic has won their past two meetings — in the 2023 Cincinnati Open final and then in the semi-finals of the season-ending ATP Tour Finals.

Alcaraz hopes to make it a super Sunday for Spain by winning the Wimbledon final before the country’s national football team face England in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin.

“Being a Spaniard, yeah, it would be a perfect Sunday,” said Alcaraz.

“It’s going to be a really fun day for Spanish people watching my final, watching the Euros final.”

Alcaraz has been warned to expect a super-charged Djokovic, who has swept into the final with two straight-sets wins punctuated by an injury walkover handed to him by Alex de Minaur in the last eight.

Alcaraz said that he does not see himself as favourite despite the age gap and potential issues with the Serb’s knee.

“If he’s in the final it’s because he’s at a high level,” said the Spaniard.

“I don’t see myself as a favourite. The winner will be the one who plays the best in the match and who deals better in the situations that arise.”

Novak Djokovic believes the prospect of creating tennis history will provide the “fuel” he needs to defeat Carlos Alcaraz and clinch an eighth Wimbledon title and record 25th Grand Slam on Sunday. Just five weeks after undergoing surgery on his right knee, 37-year-old Djokovic can become the oldest Wimbledon champion of the modern era and avenge his heartbreaking five-set loss to the Spaniard in last year’s final. “I’m aware of what’s on the line. Any Grand Slam that I play, there’s always history now on the line,” said Djokovic. “I will try to use that as a fuel to play my best tennis.”

Djokovic will be playing in his 10th Wimbledon final and 37th at the 75 majors in which he has played.

A 25th Grand Slam title would be an all-time record for men and women, snapping the mark of 24 he shares with Margaret Court.

“It serves as a great motivation, but at the same time it’s also a lot of pressure and expectations,” added the Serb.

“Every time I step out on the court now, even though I’m 37 and competing with the 21-year-olds, I still expect myself to win most of the matches, and people expect me to win 99% of the matches that I play.”

Djokovic arrived at Wimbledon under a form and fitness cloud.

The 22-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner took his Australian Open title and then his world number one ranking.

Alcaraz succeeded him as French Open champion.

Djokovic hadn’t reached a final coming into the All England Club.

When he played his first round match it was only 25 days after he had gone under the knife to repair a torn meniscus which had caused him to withdraw from Roland Garros.

“We agreed that we would not talk about my guaranteed Wimbledon participation until three, four days before the tournament starts,” explained Djokovic.

“I understand why people were thinking it’s premature, it’s maybe reckless, but I don’t think it was, to be honest.”

Alcaraz, 16 years Djokovic’s junior, is in his fourth Grand Slam final and is looking to add a second Wimbledon to his 2022 US Open breakthrough and French Open title from last month. 

His win in the 2023 All England Club final snapped Djokovic’s 34-match winning streak at the tournament.

Alcaraz has endured an uneven tournament.

On Friday, he defeated Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals but only after having to come back from dropping the first set for the third time at the tournament.

He is bidding to become only the sixth man to win the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back.

However, Djokovic has won their last two meetings — in the 2023 Cincinnati Open final and then in the semi-finals of the season-ending ATP Tour Finals.

Alcaraz hopes to make it a super Sunday for Spain by winning the Wimbledon final before the country’s national football team face England in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin.

“Being a Spaniard, yeah, it would be a perfect Sunday,” said Alcaraz.

“It’s going to be a really fun day for Spanish people watching my final, watching the Euros final.”

Alcaraz has been warned to expect a super-charged Djokovic who has swept into the final with two straight-sets wins punctuated by an injury walkover handed to him by Alex de Minaur in the last eight.

“This was the seventh time that we were playing against each other, and I never faced a Novak like this,” said Lorenzo Musetti who fell to Djokovic in the semi-finals.

“I didn’t see him struggling physically. I have to say he played a really incredible match. He showed that he’s really in great shape – I think not only in tennis, but physically.”